Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Oink Oink

It is looking like the swine flu has hit the Parker Pack. Aiden is the 'ebola monkey' this time, picking up the virus from school and bringing it home. So far, he is the only one infected, and we are hoping that stays the case. Brad and I have both been put on anti-virals, with the hope that minimizing the number of people in the household with the flu will allow us to minimize the risk to Aubrey, since she is too young for anti-virals. And since I am on immunosuppressants for my lupus, there is a real risk if I were to contract it.

I had to pick Aiden up from school early on Monday--his teachers called to tell me he had developed a fever. It was 102 degrees when I got him, so we went home for Motrin and rest. When we got home, the vomiting started. Luckily, that part of it was short-lived. He threw up several times that afternoon and through the night, but by Tuesday morning the vomiting had stopped. Since then, it has just been high fever and chills, but nothing too serious. If it hadn't been for the fact that Aubrey and I were in the house and at risk for a more serious disease, I doubt I would have had him tested.

A lesson to the other moms out there: in healthy kids, this disease doesn't appear all that serious. When Aiden is doped on Motrin, he appears to be a normal kiddo, rambunctious and crazy. His fever had even stopped for about 20 hours, and I thought we had just survived a tummy bug. But when the fever reappeared and I noticed that Aiden was starting to have more respiratory symptoms, like a runny nose and cough, I became suspicious of the dreaded swine flu and made an appointment to have Aiden tested. At the doctor's office, Aiden was acting fine and I could tell that the doctor thought I was just a neurotic, paranoid mom. Weren't we all surprised when she came back to tell us that he had tested positive for influenza A! That fact, coupled with his tummy symptoms and respiratory symptoms, makes swine flu the likely culprit.

So, for the time being, the Parker Pack will be holed up in our den, watching endless movies and trying to stave off the boredom. Hopefully, Aiden's fever will break soon, and I can begin ticking off the 48 hours I have to wait before he can go back to school.

Want to hear more about the Pack?

Check out A Belly in Bloom, a page devoted to Angela's pregnancy with Aubrey. You can see belly pics, sonograms, and learn more about how Aubrey (formerly known as "The Bean") came to be the lovely little girl she is! You can also find Angela's favorite recipes and newest food experiments at Cooking with the Parker Pack.